This invention relates to an adjustable head support and feeding aid for patients who have lost muscle control in the back, shoulders or neck region to the extent that, when seated, the patient's head tends to slump forwardly towards or even onto the chest.
Many wheelchair patients, for example, lose the ability to control head movement. Shoulder and neck muscles become weak from non-movement and deteriorate rapidly to the extent that the patient is unable to hold the head upright and it tends to slump forwardly onto the chest. This condition is accelerated in older patients, particularly where the patient's condition has been weakened from prior medical problems such as stroke, or arthritis. Once the neck muscles weaken and the head drops forward, breathing becomes more difficult, and the intake of food and drink is impaired.